Amaryllis care after blooming

HELP FOR GARDENERS

The most frequently asked question this week is: ''What do I do now that my amaryllis has bloomed?''

My amaryllis bulbs are just coming into bloom. I keep them out quite late in the fall and, when they do re-sprout, I keep them in a cool room.

After a bloom fades, cut back the flower stem to the base of the plant.

Continue to water the pot and allow the green leaves to grow. When the weather warms, about May, move the plant outdoors for the summer and continue to water as needed. This will replenish the energy in the bulbs in preparation for another bloom season next winter. When the temperatures cool in the fall, cut back on watering and move indoors. As the leaves die back, stop watering and store in a cool, dry, frost-free area for a month or two.

Check for sprouting after about eight weeks. When the leaves begin to show, increase watering and move the plant to an area with bright indirect light.

Well-watered, enjoying the sunlight and warmth, your amaryllis should provide beautiful new blooms for another year.

Smart pots

Q: What can you tell me about a product called Smart Pots (www.smartpots.com)? It is an aeration container to enhance root structure. I was thinking about trying them for my tomatoes this year. Totally Tomatoes has a similar product in its catalog.

A: Quite honestly, I have never used these pots. I have toyed with cowpots, biodegradable pots made primarily for starting off seedlings, and StrawPots -- rice fiber with coconut fiber and natural latex, another seedling pot.

These pots, the Smart Pots and similar products were first used to grow nursery stock and are now marketed as container gardening pots. The promotional Web site (www.smartpots.com) does have some good points about allowing air to reach the roots, collapsible storage, air-root pruning and light weight.

One concern stems from their FAQ (frequently asked questions) section that mentioned that water might wick from the moist pot soil into the dry soil beneath it; increasing the need for watering. They also say that increased evaporation, through the porous wall material, may require more or more-frequent watering.

I would be interested in trying this pot but would probably use it on a limited basis until I became better acquainted with its properties. If any reader has experience with growing in fiber pots, please let me know how they performed for you.

More catalogs

-- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (2278 Baker Creek Road, Mansfield MO 65704; 417-924-8917, http://www.RareSeeds.com ): All of these seeds are non-hybrid, non-genetically altered, non-treated and non-patented. There is a great selection of seeds and plenty of beautiful pictures in this catalog. Among the flower seeds I spied Black Boy (near black) and Mauve Queen (lilac) Bachelor's Button seeds, Coral Beauty Mask Flower (Alonsoa meridionalis), melon-orange flowers on over 4-foot stalks, and plenty of sweet peas and zinnias. The oddest tomato offered is Riesetomato. It looks like a bunch of cherry tomatoes stuck together in an alien mass. There are plenty of other unusual ones: Furry Yellow Hog (small, lemon-yellow and slightly fuzzy); Striped Roman (long, pointy, and red with wavy orange stripes); Japanese Black Trifele (shape and size of a Bartlett pear, purplish-brick color) as well as pink, green, orange, ribbed and more. There are plenty of melons, salsify and scorzonera (black oyster plant), peppers, lettuce and other vegetables.